Fri Sep 20 12:07:38 UTC 2024: ## British Businessman Extradited to South Africa to Face Corruption Charges

Johannesburg, South Africa – A British businessman, Michael Lomas, has been extradited from the UK to face 65 counts of corruption related to his work with South Africa’s struggling power utility Eskom. Lomas, a former contractor for Eskom, is accused of taking kickbacks on contracts between his company, Tubular Construction, and Eskom for work at the Kusile power station, worth over 1.4 billion rand ($80 million).

Lomas was previously arrested in South Africa, granted bail, and subsequently fled to the UK. He was apprehended and brought back to South Africa on Friday morning, arriving at OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg under heavy police escort. Due to poor health, a medical doctor accompanied him on the flight.

Lomas briefly appeared in Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court before the case was adjourned. He is accused alongside 11 other individuals, including two Eskom executives and two other businessmen, who were arrested in 2019. Their case is ongoing at the Johannesburg High Court.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) requested Lomas’s extradition in 2022, but the process was delayed by his appeals, which were ultimately rejected. Lomas will now be charged and processed before his case is combined with the other suspects.

The charges against the co-conspirators include fraud, money laundering, and corruption, stemming from allegations that they took kickbacks and inflated the cost of work at the Kusile power station. The project, intended to alleviate South Africa’s electricity shortages, has been plagued by delays and faults.

The Hawks, South Africa’s police unit responsible for investigating economic crime, corruption, and organized crime, have been working on the case since 2017, when an Eskom employee filed a complaint about one of the tenders.

Lomas’s extradition marks a significant step in the ongoing investigation into corruption at Eskom, which has been struggling to recover from years of mismanagement and corruption. The allegations against Lomas and his co-conspirators highlight the serious challenges facing South Africa’s power sector and the need for greater accountability.

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